Vending machine



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H. M. T. CUNNINGHAM v VENDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I n ventor Attorney 1,655,090 H. M. T. CUNNINGHAM VENDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 @Mdo/22% Attorney Jan. 3, 1928.

1,655,090 H.v M. T. CUNNINGHAM VENDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor v 50" Fig. 5 is an `Patented Jan. 3,

HENRY n. T. CUNNINGHAM, or WASHINGTON, nrscuarcr or commun.

vnNnING- MACHINE.

.Application led ugust 9, 1926. Serial No. 128,182. v

The present invention has reference to improvements in vending machines andis designed to provide a device wherein bottles, packages, or the like may be stored and maintained in a chilled atmosphere to` be delivered on insertion into the machine of a coin of proper size, the vending yside lof the machine being so lconstructed that the bottles or the like gravitate from the reser- .10 voir into position to be discharged from the machine, the bottle or the rlike following the one being discharged, being held back by a mechanism responsive to the action of the coin controlled side of the machine.

Another important feature of my invention relates to a coin controlled apparatus for delivering certain quantities of liquid,-

for instance water,-in proportion to a coin inserted therein.

mechanism essentially comprises a valve box capable of discharging a measured amount of liquid and operable thru a coin controlled deyice. Y

A still further very important object of the invention lies in the provision of a coin controlled vending apparatus of this nature which is exceedin ly simple in its construction, strong, durale; inexpensive to manufacture, compact and convenient, easy to 80 manipulate, not likely to readily become out of order, and otherwise wellgzadapted to the purpose for which itis designed.

jects in 'view as will appear'as the'i-description proceeds," the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement' of parts and claimed.

In the drawin s:- Y

' Figure 1 is a ront elevation of the apparatus embodying the :features of my in- .vention,

Fig. 2 is a5 fragmentary vertical transverse section taken therethrough,

Fi 3 is an enlarged detail section showin t e coin controlled mechanism,

dig.14' is a perspective view of the push ro enlarged detail section taken Vsubstantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a. detail perspective view of the co-actuated member,

Fig. 7 is..a fragmentary sectional eleva- The liquid dispensing tion ,showing particularly one of the liquid dispensing mechanisms, and4 Fig. 8v is a sectional view through the] valve mechanism thereof.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it-will b e seen that the letter C denotes generally a casing mounted on a base structure denoted by the` letter B. Therear Aof the casing C is provided with aremovable door D of suitable construction. -A plurality of chutes 5 are arranged in the casing C to extend from openings in the rear of the casing at the top thereof through the bottom of the casing, terminating in pockets 6. The upper ends of the chutes 5 have closures 7 which are removable for the purpose of inserting bottles, packages, or the like in the chutes. Any suitable refrigerating means (not shown) may be utilized in the casing for chilling the bottles or the like while in the chutes. As the mechanism associated with these chutes Iis identical, only one will be described in detail, as this will suice for a clear comprehension of the plurality of mechanisms.

The chute 5 has aY portion thereof extending vertically along the inside front wall of `the casing, and this portion is-slotted as at 8 in the front and as at 9 in the grear. The front slot 8 is closed by a transparent panel 10 so that the goods in the chute maybe seen from the front of the casing. A pa1r of. With the above and numerous other ob.

sprockets 11 and 12 arejournaled on suitable shafts 14 and 15 respectively, mounted in the casing Cin 'any suitable or preferred manner. Al chain 16 is -trainedover -thesesprockets l11 and 12 as is clearly shown in as will be hereinafter more fully described F' i plurality of spaced lugs 18 project outwardly from the chain 16. These lugs 18 are adaptedv to move thru the slot 9 of the chute 5 for the purpose of allowing the bottles or other packages to rest thereon. The space between the lugs 18, of course,

will be governed* according` to the size of the packages or bottles. This chain and sprocket mechanism forms an-` escapement mechanism regulating the release of one bottle at a time in accordance -with the operation of a coin control mechanism about .to be described. o

Particular attention is now dlrected to' Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive wherein I have illus-` trated clearly the coin cont-rolled mechanism for releasing the escaping mechanism just" 'slidably mounted in the base structure B.

Intermediate the ends of the chute20, the

' frame is odset to form a shoulder jor ledge 22. A sleeve 23 is. mounted through the front of the casing and. slidably supports a rod 25, the outer end of which is in the form of a'push button 2.6' and the inner end of which is flattened a`s at 27. 'The flattened end 27 is slidable throughv an opening in the4 chute 2O immediatelyabove the ledge 22. A-

spring 28'is disposed about the rod 25 and is impinged against the button 26 and against the sleeve 23' Jfor normally holding the slidable rodoutwardly. y

A stop pin 29 limits the outward move.-

-ment of the rod 25. The normal position of this rod is clearly shown in `Fig. 3.A lA slidable plate 30 is mounted in a transverse lextension 31 of the chute 20 immediatel adjacent the ledge22. The front endo this plate is beveled as is indicated at 32 and the plate is slotted longitudinally as indicated at 33. A bell crank pawl 34 is -pivotally mounted in the casing as at 35 and one end theeofis inengagement with a ratchet 36 provided on the sprocket 12. In Fig.' 3 this sprocket rotates,-as will be apparent, in a counterclockwise direction. The lower or other end of the bell crank p awl34 has a 'pin and slot connection 37 with the inner end ofthe plate- 30. An extension 38 is provided .on theV latter mentioned end of the Rawl -34 and isengaged by a spring 39 which 1s engaged with the casingl and normally holds the pawl engaged wit the ratchet.

It` willthus be seen that when a coin is v dropped in the chute 20, it comes to a Vstop on the ledge 22. Then the rod 425 may ush pushed inwardly, causing'the.y coin to inwardly on the plate 30, thereby roc 'ng the :pawl 34 out of engagement with the ratchet 36. Because of t e bevel 32, the coin will.slip olf of said beveled end-32and, fall down' through the chute into the drawer or.l

like container 21. This momentary release of the pawl I34 will allow the movement of theisprocket 12 sufficiently so that one bottle or'the like' will` be released from engagement with its respective pawl so as to drop 'down through "the lower portion [of the chute 5 into the pocket 6, a, suitable buffer means 40 being 'providedtherein l Itis apparent that the slot 33 is provided f for the purpose 'of receiving the Hattened end of the rod .25 whenever no coin is\rest ing on the ledge 22, so'that the mechanism may not be operated except when a" coin is in inserted therein.

Particular attention is nowv directed to and onl the water dispensing devices on the lends of tthe base structure B. These dispensing'devices may be used for other llquids than water and they are duplicates of each other,

one Awill be described' in detail.

In this connection, .particular attention' is s directed to Figs. 7 and 8, wherein the numeral 42 denotes lthe ordinary inverted water bottle inserted yin the usual cooler casing 43', the refrigerating features -of 'l5 which may bc of the conventional Aformation. In order to prevent'the unauthorized removal of the water bottle 42, I provide a pair of L-shaped 'members 44 which arehingedly connected ,as at 45 with' the casin 80 43 and the other-ends of which are provide with eyes 46 for receiving a padlock 47, thuspreventing the unauthorized removal of the bottles.

i The numeral 48 denotes a measuring con- 85 tainer which has'a valvecasing 49 at t e top thereof and a valve casing 50 at the bottom thereof. The valve casing 49 communicates with the' inverted bottle 42 through suitable means 51 and an outlet conduit 52 is asso. 90 I ciated with thevalve casing 50. A rotary` valve 53 'is mounted in the c asing 49 and a. rotary valveA 54 ismounted inthe casing 50. As shown in Fig. 8, the valve 53 is open,

'allowingthe passage of the liquid from the 95 48, while the valve 54 is closed.

A ear 56 is associated withthe valve 53 and t e gear 57 is associated vwith the valve bottle down mto vthe measuring receptacle 54. A memberl 58 has rack extensions e59 10c and 60 assoclated respectively with ears :56 and 57. A. `shank 30' functions i enticallywith the plate 30 previously described iny connection with '.t e coin' controlled mechanism. .Otherwise the coin lcontrolled mechanism is identical with that previousl described. A dash ot 61 is connectedwlt A the member- 58 an prevents the too'quickA return of the shank 31.' which is returned through the medium of af spri n g' 62. s 11o It willthus be seen that when theycoin control mans is actuated, the member 58. is pushedto the left of Fig. 7, thereby rotatingv thevvalves 53 and,54.s1multaneously. 'It is' thought `that the construction, operation, l

and advantages of' this. vending machine will now be clearly understood by those'\' skilled` in this art-without a more detailed description thereof. Therpresent embodi ment of the invention hasheen disclosed in` detailA merelyby way of example, since 'in actual practice it attains'the' features of advantage as' 'numerated as desirable in the" Astatement of the invention rand theabove description It will be apparent.' that numerous changes in the details of construction; and

(t ev combination and arrangement of arts mayresorted to withoutdeparting rom the'splrlt or scope of the ,invention-,130,

v posed for as hereinafter claimed, or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus ydescribed my invention, what I claim as new is i Y In a vending machine of the class described, a coin control mechanism including, in combination, a continuous chute disravitational passage of a coin therethroug .and having an intermediate offset to form a ledge, an extension provided in the chute transversely thereof immediately adjacent the ledge, a plate slidable in the extension and having a longitudinally extending slot at its end adjacent the ledge, a slidably mounted rod projectible through an opening in the chute immediately above the ledge for `forcing a coin into engagement with the plate for sliding Esaid plate, saidslot vin the plate being adapted to receive the end of the rod when no coin is resting on the ledge, the coin engaging end'of the late being beveled downwardly and away rom the ledge, a pivoted member, a pin and slot connection between the pvoted member and the plate, a spring associated with the pivoted member for holding the plate in a predetermined position, a shaft, a ratchet wheel connected to said shaft, said ratchet wheel being the pivoted member when said erated b a coin interposed between t plate an the rod and spring means associated with the rod for holding the same ina predetermined position so vthat a coin may be inserted in the continuous chute to be momentarily stopped on the ledge by the plate whereby the rod may be pushed inwardly to force the coin against the beveled end of the plate to slide said plate and the spring associated with the pivoted 'member will tend totorce the coin down into the lower portion of the chute.

In testimony whereof I-aix my signature.

actuated by pla'tevis o HENRY M. T. CUNNINGHAM. 

